PM Carney says NATO spending shift underway amid Trump pressure on allies

The PM is attending a one-day NATO summit with key topics including the Ukraine war, defense spending, relationships with the U.S. Graham Richardson reports.

ANKARA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says NATO countries are bolstering their own defence forces as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to pull out of the alliance.

Trump has long said allies don’t spend enough on defence and that the U.S. has carried more than its fair share of NATO’s defence spending burden.

Carney told reporters in Turkiye on the last day of the summit that Trump is looking to shift the burden, just as former U.S. president Barack Obama sought to do.

He says that shift is already starting to happen and expects it will continue.

Carney also said that NATO’s defence spending target of five per cent by 2035 is set to be reviewed within the next four years as threats evolve.

Also asked about Canada working with German manufacturer TKMS on its new fleet of submarines, Carney said economic benefits were a factor in the decision-making process.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2026.

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press